Perspectives
by Brainlock
Summary: series of one-shots/whatnot running parallel to my "The Life of Parkman" Saga Vigil, Visiting Ours, Darkness . some semi-canon, some AU.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

HEROES: Perspectives - Prologue

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! 1.2-3.8 spoilage.

Characters: Noah/HRG, Haitian, Thompson, Hank, with Matt, mentions of Molly, Audrey, Sylar

--

October 2, 2006

"Looks like we got another hit by Sylar," Thompson said, leaning into Bennet's office.

Noah looked up, tensing in anticipation of leaping into action. "Where?"

"Los Angeles, took out a couple in their home. At the moment their young daughter is missing."

His throat clenched. Thompson raised an eyebrow. Noah cleared his throat, pushing the paternal thoughts of Claire away for the moment. This didn't concern her. "How were they killed?"

"Father was frozen, mid-bite, at the breakfast table," he informed his colleague, reading off the paper in his hands. "Mother was pinned to the wall by silverware. Several feet off the ground." He looked up. "Dad's head was sliced open. His brain was missing."

"Gray."

"Gray," Thompson echoed. He looked back to the report. "Local police and FBI are combing the house, looking for any indication that the girl was hopefully gone for the incident, sleepover or something. Nothing seems to be out of place."

Noah felt his stomach drop. He didn't have to be a father to feel sorry for the poor kid. The thought crossed his mind that Gray wouldn't let her suffer and make it quick. Then it occurred to him. "He's never taken live victims before, just the brains. Why change now?"

Thompson shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he realized she's one of them, too, and he hesitated killing someone so young?"

"Or maybe he got distracted before he could get very far?" he offered. "He doesn't always take the brains, only when it looks like he's been in a hurry."

"You don't think he has the girl?"

Bennet rose. "For her sake, I hope not."

An aide rushed up to Thompson, handed him another paper. "Great. That's just what we need."

"There's been a lead?"

"No. We have another potential problem," he informed his subordinate. "One of the attending officers is Parkman's son."

"Maury Parkman? I thought he went into hiding after Petrelli died."

"You haven't read his file, have you?"

Noah shook his head. "Not in a while, will he be a problem?"

"Maury left his kid when he was a teenager, back in '81 I think, apparently under Arthur's orders," he explained. "No further family contact that we've been able to confirm since."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Do you really want Gray to get hold of one of the Founder's kids, even if he hasn't manifested yet? I'm sure She will have heads rolling if he does, regardless if the guy is active or not."

"Ah, I hadn't considered that. I'll get out there right away." Bad enough Parkman had already encountered Sarah--sorry, 'Eden', but it allowed the Haitian to pick her up. His encountering one person of interest is chance, two as a result of a third is not.

"The girl is the first priority, running interference between Parkman and Gray is a close second."

"What if the girl has already manifested with an ability like her father apparently did?"

"Bring her in, regardless. We'll worry about Parkman, later."

Noah bristled at this order, thinking of Elle Bishop and his own Claire. "And if she's normal?"

"Bring her in, anyway. We'll run a few tests, just to make sure." He smiled to himself and Noah fought to keep from removing it with his fists. "Make it quick, I want you back in New York to check in with Suresh. Make sure he's settling in and found his father's files. Chandra was making a list of those he thought had abilities. I want it." He then turned and strode out.

Noah bristled again. Gray had mentioned a list when he and Elle first found him. He had known Chandra Suresh. Killed him. Had he gotten his list off of Chandra's? What if Claire was on that list? He had to get to it, make sure she wasn't on it by any means necessary.

A shadow crossed his door again. Thompson re-entered.

"You know what? Never mind."

"Sir?"

"You head to New York. This is a simple surveillance. I'll send your Haitian friend. I'm sure he can handle it."

"Do you think that's wise? Sending him after Gray by himself?"

"Oh, I'm not sending him by himself, I'm just not sending you with him." He winked at Bennet. "It's not like you two are married, now is it?"

Bennet laughed it off, thinking his boss a schmuck.

"No, I'll send, let's see," he paused, mentally scrolling through agent names and availability. "I think Hank is free this week. You can relieve him once you're done in New York. I'm sure a few days apart will be good for you two."

Bennet nodded, silently hoping Gray, or 'Sylar,' as he called himself, now, would stay far away from Odessa until they caught up to him.

"After we have the girl, and hopefully, Gray, you two can bag and tag Parkman, just in case."

"Well then, I guess I'm off to New York again, aren't I?" he mock grinned. He would check Parkman's files just in case while up at Hartsdale.

-

Hank slowed down as they neared the address. It wasn't to confirm the right location, but the handful of traffic this quiet street usually handled had more than doubled, as those living nearby decided to see why an entire squad of police had descended upon their neighborhood that morning.

"Think they've found her, yet?" he asked his mute friend.

The dark skinned man scanned the crowd of police slowly, shaking his head in response.

"This is the part of the job I hate, getting kids involved," he continued, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice.

The dark man nodded. He withdrew his necklace, kissed it and said a silent prayer for her safety. Then he saw him. He nodded in the direction of the officer waving traffic through. He wore a frustrated expression as he talked to another officer behind him.

"That is him, isn't it?" Hank noted, glancing to the open file on his compatriot's lap. As they came closer to the officer, he closed it and set it out of sight down between his legs for the moment.

"Doesn't look happy. Probably pissed he's on crowd control," he mused.

The dark man nodded at his partner, making mental notes of the officer in question as they passed. They locked eyes for a brief second, and he nodded. He could tell Parkman was bored, as he glanced to the next car behind them.

Hank grinned. "I don't suppose you want to stop and say 'hi', do you?" He was greeted with a stern look. "O-kay," he grimaced. "That answers that question. Once more around the block?"

His companion had pulled out his PDA and began typing, letting the office know: 'First pass, Parkman directing traffic outside crime scene. Most likely unaware of details.'

Hank drove on a few more blocks, turned, and then wound his way back past the scene. Parkman was gone, and there seemed to be something happening.

"Crap, looks like we missed something. Hopefully they found her alive," he said as they drove past again. "Maybe I can park around the block and we can sneak up?"

The dark man's attention was drawn to the house. He could sense two abilities inside. One he recognized from a few minutes earlier, the second was...small. The girl? The larger presence approached the smaller one slowly. They intertwined. Shock and joy. She was safe. EMTs rushed into the house.

He pulled out his PDA again as Hank parked the car. 'Second pass, activity. Parkman gone inside? Will continue surveillance.'

Both men got out of the car and watched the house as they leaned against it, trying to act as nonchalant as the other onlookers. They saw the EMT rush back out with a blanket obviously covering a small someone in his arms as he jumped into the back of the waiting ambulance.

Parkman followed him out, with two women hot on his heels. He held up his hand and made a small wave at someone inside the vehicle as the rear doors closed. The redhead was saying something, Parkman stopped and looked back at her, confused. The pair led him around to the back of the house as the ambulance left.

"You don't think he manifested, just now, do you?"

The dark man narrowed his eyes. 'Update, Walker girl alive, taken to hospital? Parkman remains behind. Possible trouble? FBI involved.'

Hank pulled out his camera. "I'm going to see if I can't get closer. If anyone asks, we're with the Times. Or Enquirer. Y'know, whatever."

He was gone before the dark man could stop him. He sighed as his partner crept through the neighbor's yard, obviously trying to get some shots of Parkman in the rear of the house and what he could of the chaos inside.

Five minutes later, he was being escorted back across the street. He smiled at his companion as he got back in the car.

"I'm not sure what happened, but Parkman found the girl hiding inside and now he is in trouble over it." His partner raised an eyebrow. "I managed to snap a few pics of him and hopefully, a few of the inside, if I'm lucky."

He handed his partner the camera and he began flipping through the tiny images. Parkman was standing by the pool, waiting, and he did not look happy. One of them looked to show a leg pinned to the wall inside, but it was hard to tell. They would have to analyze them back at the office.

They tried to keep tabs on Parkman's whereabouts the next two days and were surprised to learn the FBI thought he was responsible for the double-murder and "rescue" of the girl.

Fortunately for Parkman, Gray/'Sylar' came back for the girl. Unfortunately, he killed two officers before Parkman and FBI Agent Hanson (the blonde from the Walker house they learned) managed to chase him off. Walker was taken to a police safe house for the time being, while Parkman returned home.

Bennet had caught up to his partner in LA, having read Matt's file. He learned that the Parkman's were in counseling. He wasn't privy to the argument he had with his wife, but he soon left home and headed to a local bar. Bennet and his silent partner followed and soon found the opening they were waiting for.

_On 10/04/2006, Subject Parkman _(file: C002; password: MPggtn75x)_ was observed leaving residence following argument with spouse, entering local bar and ordering beer. He began looking around room at patrons, making small talk with bartender and an older woman before taking notice of Agent. Agent induced drowsiness and stepped forward to remove him from premises 'for fresh air.' Subject Parkman taken to Los Angeles facility for full examination. (See attached results.) Subject returned to home following evening (10/05) before wife returned home for night. No further action to be taken at this time._

Bennet knew better than to make note that Parkman had somehow slipped inside his mind as he was leaving the exam room. Just his luck that he was thinking of getting home to check on Claire. He would have to keep an eye on this one. Even Parkman's father had been unable to defy his partner's power blocking ability. Luckily, the son seemed to be easier to deal with once his memory of the bag and tag had been erased.

Bennet didn't mind sharing a beer with the guy, even if he had to practically force half of it down his semi-conscious throat before they dropped him off. Let his wife think he went on a bender. Just one more thing for them to argue about in 'couples therapy'. It's not like he forced Parkman to hit a bar to begin with, but it made for an excellent cover for his missing time.

Noah finished the last of the bottle, not wanting good beer to go to waste, as he let his partner drive them away from the Parkman residence. He mused that in another life, he and Matt Parkman probably might get along and toss back a few beers together at a backyard barbecue some weekend.

Nah, that'll never happen.

__________??


	2. Chapter 2 The Ride

_HEROES: Perspectives - The Ride_

_Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!_

_Characters: Noah/HRG, Matt, Ted, Niki/Jessica(+Gina?) and DL._

_Implied slash. Set between s1 eps, .07% and Landslide_

_--_

_November 5, 2006_

_Matt hadn't been on a road trip since...forever. He knew the last time he drove for an extended time was his honeymoon with Janice in Vegas. Yeah, classy. Still...._

_The memories of that long weekend flooded back to him as did the blood into his--_

"_What'cha thinking about, Carnac?"_

_Matt groaned. "Go away, Ted."_

"_This car isn't big enough for the two of us, cowboy," he shot back in possibly the worst drawl Matt had ever had the misfortune of experiencing. Weekend night shift for a cop was the worst for this, what with all the drunks, so he had heard plenty. And it was Los Angeles, so he had everybody topped outside of New York and San Francisco. Okay, maybe New Orleans, but only during Mardi Gras._

_He glared at the nuclear man. Ah well, at least he had been enough of a distraction to keep from being embarrassed for the moment. He glanced back to Bennet. "Wanna trade?"_

_Bennet looked up from the map. __Not on your life. _"No thanks, I'm just double-checking our route."

Matt didn't buy his excuse. "Isn't it pretty much a straight shot through to New York?"

"It could be, Mr. Parkman," he said slyly. "If we were going straight there, which is what they expect us to do."

Matt and Ted looked across the seat at each other. Uh-oh.

Ted spoke up. "Um, if you're changing our route, you might want to tell, I dunno, oh maybeeee...the _driver_?"

Bennet smiled. "Don't worry, Mr. Sprague, I'll tell you when and where we need to turn. Basically, follow Route 66 here up to St. Louis, then we take I-70 to Pittsburgh and--"

"How long is that going to take us?" Matt interrupted.

"Almost a full day, straight through" he answered matter of factly. "You have somewhere better to be, Mr. Parkman?"

"Geez! Will you stop with the Misters?" Matt yelled. "We have names, you know! I'm Matt and he's Ted! Why can't you call us that?"

Bennet sighed. "Keeping my distance, in case things get hairy." Ted looked up at him in the rearview mirror. "No offense, Mr. Spr--Ted." He glanced at Matt, who was glaring back at him. He smiled knowingly, winked. _Or you, Matt._

Matt fumed. "We are not driving straight through, Bennet," he said, fighting his anger. "We've got to take breaks for food, gas, and sleep!" He emphasized this last item.

"We'll also have to switch off cars on the way."

"What? You do know I'm a police officer, right?"

"A police officer on suspension, planning potentially terrorist activities." He smiled. "I think we've all broken the law by now, what's a stolen car or two?"

Matt fumed and turned back to face front again. Worst. Road Trip. Ever.

_Ease up, Parkman. By the time this is all over, it won't matter one way or the other. We'll either be dead or wishing we were._

"I've got a pregnant wife back home in LA, Bennet," Matt retorted.

Bennet smirked. Ted rolled his eyes. "Not this again!"

Matt sulked. "I'm sorry, but it's true. I-I just want to be there for my wife!" he explained again. "It's--"

"Alright, we'll crash for the night along the way," Bennet informed him. _You're bunking with me, Matt. We're going to have a discussion, whether you like it or not. _

Matt got the intent, and looked back to Bennet, nodded.

"Probably won't make it to New York until the seventh, but hey, it's not like it's going to blow up or anything, is it?" he informed them.

Ted spoke up. "You guys aren't going to make me sleep in the car, are you?"

"Why not Ted? It's not like you can freeze or anything," Matt chided him.

"Ha and ha. Yes I can. I'm not sleeping in the car."

"Fine, Ted," Bennet answered him. "But you're getting your own room." He glanced at Matt again and they shared a grin.

That night, they crashed at a cheap motel just west of St Louis. Since they were making a slight change in direction, any way, they might as well crash at the small hotel there before proceeding into the city. Ted had his own room, while Matt and Bennet took turns showering before turning in in their shared room.

"What? It's not like I haven't seen you stripped down, before, Matt," Bennet teased him. "And don't forget your department locker room. All those tough guys getting naked together...." His voice took on a longing quality.

Matt was not amused by the man's antics tonight. "Don't start," he warned, grabbing the less grungy towel from behind the curtain. He did a double-take and rolled his eyes as he saw Bennet had stripped to his boxers while he brushed his teeth.

Matt was trying to drift off to an exhausted sleep when his roommate came out, clad only in a towel and his glasses. Oh please, god, don't tell me he had something else in mind!

"You didn't make any calls, did you Parkman?"

He sat up. Oh crap. He was so tired, he missed his chance to call Janice! He slapped his forehead. 

"I take it that's a no?" he smirked. "Good. Radio silence, remember?"

Matt glared at him. "You said you wanted to talk. Talk."

Bennet smiled and sat on the other bed across from Matt. Matt wasn't sure what to think, any more. Luckily, the towel was big enough to reach the man's knees, so he wasn't exposing himself. Matt focused on his glasses and only his glasses.

"You said you're going to be a father, right?"

Whew! He's not hitting on me! Still, better play this right. "What concern is it of yours, Bennet?" he asked, defensively.

"This stays between us."

"W-what?" Oh god, he _is_ hitting on me!

"What I'm about to tell you. It stays between us."

"uh, sure. I won't tell Ted a thing." Okay, I'll let him blow me, but I won't return the, uh, 'favor'.

"No, Parkman," his voice softened, insistent. "Matt. You tell no one, do you understand me? No one."

"Y-you're not gonna come on me--I mean, come on TO me, are you?"

Bennet rolled his eyes. Matt blushed.

"No, Matt. We're talking man to man, father to father-to-be."

Whew! "ah. Yeah, go ahead." His curiosity was piqued, now.

"There was a file on you before we took you."

Matt's face blanched. "What?"

"The Company knew about you, already. Watched you."

"What? Why? How?"

"They're going to keep a file on your child, too."

"What? H-how do you know that? _Why_ would they do that?"

"Company policy."

"What?"

_Say what again, motherfucker._

Matt shut up.

"They know about you. They've always known about you. It was just a matter of time before they came after you, Matt. It's just a matter of time before they come after your child."

"No! No way in Hell will I allow my wife and child--!" He started to get up, grabbing the covers to throw them off...and do what? Throw a tantrum? Get real, Matt!

Bennet held up his hand. "You got lucky, Matt. You have an out."

"Wh--?" he started, Bennet raised an eyebrow at him. His face scrunched as he realized what Bennet meant. "Tom."

"Tom?"

Matt hung his head, looked away. "Janice, she, um, cheated on me. With my former partner on the Force, Tom McHenry."

"That's the reason you two were in counseling?"

"one reason. yeah. She also kinda implied...."

"The baby is his."

Matt frowned, not wanting to think about it. "yeah."

"Go with that."

"What?"

"Use that, go with that," Bennet leaned forward, insistent once more. "As far as everybody, and I do mean every. body. is concerned, that child is his. Do you understand me?"

Matt looked at him a minute. "Claire?"

"Claire," he repeated. "She's not really mine, but she is, in every sense of the word, my daughter."

Matt gave him a confused look.

"She was given to me, years ago, as a baby. I was ordered to raise her as my own." He sighed, looked away. "And to give her up to The Company if she ever manifested."

"The healing thing?"

Bennet nodded. "I'm not sure when it started, but, six, seven months ago, she cut her hand badly. It was fine two days later, as if it never happened."

"So she knew she would survive when I shot her?"

Bennet shrugged. "I don't know. She took a gamble to protect her family, to get you and Ted out of there." He smiled to himself. "She really is my girl," he said proudly.

Matt nodded. He looked up at Bennet. "If they did get her, what would happen?"

Bennet frowned, his face darkened. "One of my superiors is a man named Bob Bishop. Does that name sound familiar?"

Matt thought a second, shook his head. "Why, should it?"

Bennet pressed on. "He's an alchemist." Matt raised an eyebrow. "He can change things from one element to another, common aluminum to gold," Bennet explained. "He bankrolled The Company for years out of sheer boredom. I'm surprised he didn't upset the world gold market," he chuckled.

He looked at Matt again, dead serious. "He has a daughter, too. Elle. She can throw lightning. And she's psychotic."

Matt leaned back in shock.

"Her own father pushed her so hard, so much, she snapped. She barely has a grip on reality on her good days." He paused, caught Matt's eye again. "You don't want to know about her bad days."

Matt gulped. "So-so if they ever got Claire...?"

"She can heal. You saw her walk out of the shambles of my house after Ted went nuclear, blew it up. They would flay her alive on a daily basis just to test the extent of her ability." His voice ached with a pain of someone who had seen too many battles. Someone who feared for the life of their child one too many times. Someone who was scared to the core of their soul. "I can't let that happen to another child. Mine. Yours. Anyone else's."

A look of horror had spread across Matt's face. He nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry, Matt."

He locked eyes with his former captor.

"If you ever gave a damn about your wife. You have to let her go. Deny your child. To save them."

Matt laid back down, turned away from the other man. The tears burned as they flowed. Never! He didn't know what he was asking! He would never, ever, EVER give up...her only hope of a normal life. Oh god, Janice. I hope you can forgive me.

Bennet stared at the slowly shaking shoulders of his new friend. Honesty is definitely not always the best policy. He hoped the man would understand and, one day, forgive him for what he was asking. He rose, threw the wet towel back in the bathroom, slipped on a pair fresh underwear he had bought in Oklahoma, earlier, crawled under the grungy covers, set his glasses on the bedside table, and turned out the light. 

He looked at the dark silhouette again. _I'm sorry, Matt. If you love her, you have to deny her. _He rolled away and forced himself to sleep.

--

"Didn't I throw you out a window?"

Matt gulped.

The ride up was in silence. Bennet and her boyfriend (husband?) acted like nothing was wrong. Bennet ignored the other three, concentrating on the mission. The husband, however, shot him a dirty look.

_I know you can hear me._

He looked at his shoes. Up at the flashing numbers. Anywhere but her.

_If I could throw you out a window, just imagine what I could do to you in bed!_

Ogodogodogod! You're a married man, Parkman!

....

He felt her thinking something toward him. Had to be images. He already knew that didn't work from testing his powers with Janice. That's right, think of Janice. Your wife. The mother of your--_oh, that's not right!_

He shot her a dirty look. Her husband noticed and glanced back at him, trying to ignore him. Good, if you only knew what your wife was thinking at me!

_Only Niki's married to DL. I'm not. Just because we share the same body, doesn't mean we like the same things. I like lots of things. Lots. Of. Things._

Married Man. Janice. Married Man. Janice. M--oh lord, where does she come up with this? How is that even humanly possible?

_Too much for you?_

Matt tried to ignore her. Was it him, or was it extremely hot and stifling in here? Breathe, just breathe. Concentrate on breathing. In. Out. In. Oh yeah, _that_ helps.

_I spent some time in LA. Learned a lot of tricks there one summer. Would you like to hear about them?_

NO! no-no-no! Married Man! Pregnant wife back home in LA!

_Have you ever...?_

Matt stifled a cough. DL bumped her elbow, scowled. She ignored him. Bennet ignored them all. He glared at her, _stop it!_

Oh god! He had busted his share of 'trade', both sides, had grown blasé about it; and some of the guys at work had bragged about the kink they tried. (okay, he and Janice tried the handcuffs and used his nightstick, but--!) He blew most of it off as stuff they had seen in videos or spank mags. But to have someone describe things that made all that pale in comparison?

He was glad his mind reading was just that, mind _READING_. He could die a happy man if he Never Ever saw what she was describing to him in horrid, glorious detail. Especially the part about him bound and gagged in a swing and her sporting a double-sided strap-on! _No! Thank! You!_

Note to self: Apologize for thinking Bennet was coming on to you the other night. If it's the last thing you do. Right before you jump in the Antarctic Ocean to cool yourself down after this elevator ride!

DING!

"This is our floor, Parkman." Bennet stepped out. "Coming?"

_Oh god! Forget that apology. As soon as we stop the tracking system, you are so dead! _Matt stepped out, turned back to the couple. "I, uh, I hope you find your son."

She smiled. _I hope you find your balls, cop. _

Well! That was certainly uncalled for! He nodded and followed Bennet down the hall.

A minute later, he felt a cold gun barrel pressed against the back of his head.

"What am I thinking now, Parkman?" came a familiar condescending voice behind him.

Matt was tempted to answer, _"I have no idea! I'm still trying to get over the extremely perverted extremely sexual mental assault I just experienced in your elevator, spank me very much!"_

Too bad Bennet answered for him. At least Thompson's finger didn't seize up in a dying convulsion, putting Matt out of his misery.

Following that, he was almost glad to get knocked upside the head. Maybe those images she had formed would leave with his amnesia? No such luck, he thought as he groaned from his injury. At least he didn't hurt himself when he landed on his--

"Officer Parkman?" came the tiny voice from the other side of the bed.

Suddenly, Niki/Jessica/Sybil/whoever was the farthest thing from his mind. 

"Molly?"

Matthew Hiram Parkman had never been so glad to see another girl in his life.


	3. Chapter 3 The Ruse 5YG

HEROES: Perspectives - The Ruse

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Characters: 5YG cast

Five Years Gone. Did you see what you thought you saw?

--

"Where is she?" he demanded, forcing the gun into his former friend's face.

"I'll never tell you!" the other man protested.

_What are you waiting for? Get a move on! You know the plan!_

"Mazel Tov."

The soldiers looked away as the Director pulled the trigger.

Just like he instructed them to.

They filed out and Director Parkman glanced back at the bodies of two good people. He closed the door and let the illusion drop.

Noah Bennet crawled out from under his desk. "You okay, Hana?"

The dead woman stirred, pulled herself up. "Next time, we do it my way."

He grinned and pulled out his phone. "He's on his way, are you ready? Good. Watch your back, honey."

Hana stared at him. "Americans. Such amateurs."

--

"So what looks good, Claire?"

She didn't put up a fight. She was outnumbered, six to one.

As far as the guards were concerned, she never stopped glaring at Matt the entire flight back to New York.

_Let's go over this, one more time._

_Matt, we've just gone over this a hundred times! I know what to do!_

_Claire, please, we can't screw this up!_

Claire spit in his face. The guards standing over her snorted, fighting the urge to laugh. Director Parkman's scowl cut them short.

"I hate you." _I know what to do, Matt!_

He withdrew a handkerchief with a bit of an annoyed flourish. "Good." _Now, from the top...._

_Get that hankie from Mohinder? No one will know what the "M" really stands for._

_Molly. From the top, young lady!_

--

"Hello, Claire," he said, showing his true face.

She panicked. Dammit, she's panicking!

She tried to run. He stopped her.

Matt tried to force his way in his mind. He found himself shut out. No. He had been testing him the last six months! There was no way he could have defenses to keep him out! He hasn't made any kills in over a year! How?? _CLAIRE!_

He scowled as the man picked up her body, turned invisible, and flew away. He would drop the body miles out to sea, where there was no chance it would find it's way back to shore.

_NO! It was impossible! The plan depended on her surviving! What went wrong? We're all in deep sh--_

_Are you done? Sorry, you don't get my vote from the Academy._

Matt glared at her again. _You see what could happen, Claire? Too much depends on you not screwing this up!_

She folded her arms. _I know what to do, Matt._

_You die, and your father will kill me. I don't regenerate, Claire. I have a family to think of. They're tired of hiding. We have to stop him. Here. Now. There is no Plan B. This is End Game._

She turned away, scowling.

--

She panicked. Matt was keeping tabs on her from upstairs. He heard her screams in his head as the man froze her in place.

Time for Plan B.

Matt stormed his brain. Froze him in place, mid-thought. He ran downstairs, pulled her to the corner and made him think he was taking her power. He let the illusory Claire drop to the floor, what remained of her dark tresses fanned out around her exposed skull like a halo.

The man smiled and left the house, returning to Washington.

They waited just in case.

"You panicked."

"I'm sorry, it was so hard seeing him after all this time, even though I knew it wasn't him," she cried.

He hugged her. "I'm sorry, Claire. I miss Nathan, too."

She sniffed and looked down at her imaginary double. "My hair's not that dark, is it?"

He looked down. Damn, it was Janice's shade, not Claire's.

"He knows you dye, maybe he didn't notice the difference since you last saw him, four years ago?"

"Matt, if you ever accuse me of screwing up the plan when this is your fault--?" She growled and stormed from the room.

Matt sighed and the girl on the floor disappeared. At least she had on a plain shirt, because he would have screwed that up, too.

-- 

He met Mohinder again, briefly before the rest of the plan went down. To anybody else, the Director of Homeland Security and the President's Chief Medical Advisor were simply in the elevator together for three floors, ignoring each other.

_Are you ready?_

_I hope so, Matthew. I hope so. My first priority is getting the younger Hiro Nakamura out of here and back to his own time before his older self and Peter tear the place down trying to get to him._

_I have my squad picked out, and they are good to go. Peter should have told our Hiro to take it easy on them. Flesh wounds only, no one gets killed today._

_With one exception._

_With one exception._

_Are you sure I can't spare our Haitian friend?_

Matt sighed. _Sedative. Switch the 'cure' with a sedative. We'll see how this goes and then decide. Noah asked for the last word on him if he survives._

_I thought you might see things my way. I've already made the switch, my friend. I'll see you after?_

_Definitely. Good luck. And don't forget to give Young Hiro the comic!_

_Try not to worry so much. Or catch any more bullets, Matthew._

_You wound me, Professor_, Matt thought as he exited the lift.

Mohinder rolled his eyes. The man was simply incorrigible!

_I heard that!_

--

"Here we are, brother against brother."

Peter smiled. "Bring it."

Matt couldn't take much more pounding. He was pinned against the door and his men weren't faring much better. _Any time now, Peter._

Peter nodded and teleported Hiro, Matt, and his crew to safety. A medical team, including Claire, was standing by to stabilize the urban samurai. The light show he was putting on was sure to scare Young Hiro into returning whence he came in hopes of denying this Hell from ever existing.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Peter looked at Sylar in surprise.

"You think I didn't know?" he smiled. "I don't need to slice heads open, anymore, Peter. I can just take what I want. Whenever I want."

"no."

"Oh yes." He knocked Peter back on his ass.

First things first. Scan the other room. Hiro and Ando were gone. Good. He sent Mohinder to join their friends.

Now, the real battle begins. He pulled himself up, grabbed Sylar, and teleported them to the desert.

"You think that's going to stop me?"

"Naw, just distract you." Peter smiled and disappeared again.

"Oh please." Sylar tried to teleport. Nothing. He tried to lift himself up, fly away. Nothing. "What's going on here?" None of his powers worked. He looked up, no sign of an eclipse. How did they do that? How did they steal his power aw--

He never finished that thought as the nuclear blast annihilated him, completely.

--

"You took him _where_?" Claire asked, dumbfounded.

"Trinity test site, back in the 40's."

"It was my idea," Matt smiled. "We had to make sure he was taken care of for good."

"But what about Ted's power? Wouldn't he just shrug off a nuclear blast?"

"Not if he had been injected with the Shanti Virus," Mohinder noted proudly. His sister's legacy had finally been put to some good for once. "Without his powers, he was as susceptible as anyone else to a ground zero nuclear detonation."

"I time-locked him, injected about a gallon of it into his system, and dropped him off at ground zero," Peter explained.

"And even if he survived," Noah explained. "We had to make sure he would have a hard time getting back. Since he didn't have your power, much less any others, there is almost no chance that he survived."

"Almost?"

"Don't worry," Peter interjected. "I already went back and checked the site where I left him. Nothing was left for miles. There's no way he survived that blast."

"So what happens now?" she asked.

This time, it was Matt who answered her. "Hopefully, Hiro changes history and this has been one big waste of time."

"How will we know that?"

Everybody turned to Mohinder, who was checking over Hiro one more time. "We don't."

"If we changed history, we will either simply cease to be as a separate timeline, or fold back into the one we created," the samurai informed the group.

"Or we may continue on like this, never knowing if we succeeded in saving the world or not," Mohinder countered.

"So, what? We just sit and wait?"

"Meanwhile," Matt said, "there's still a lot of work to be done. And I'm getting right on that as soon as I see my wife, daughter, and son."

"Our daughter!" Mohinder corrected him. 

Matt smiled at him with a devilish gleam.

Peter laughed, clapped him on the back, and he disappeared.

"I wasn't done yelling at him, Peter!" he protested.

"Come on honey," Noah said, hugging his daughter to him. "Don't you have a wedding to prepare for?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do. And you're all invited! Except for Uncle Matt."

_I heard that! _she heard Matt echo in her head.

Peter laughed again and took his niece and her father home.

Life went on, as it always does.

_________


	4. Chapter 10 Her Story 1

HEROES - Her Story

Characters: Janice P, Matt P

Notes: I own NUTTINK! Janice's version of the Parkman Saga. (so of course, it's the maiden name I gave her in my previous stories and other stuff spinning off from them.)

--

Janice Albrecht was the model daughter. Her father, Lawrence, was a fairly successful Sacramento, CA lawyer. Her mother, Karen, was the typical housewife, not needing to work, she busied herself by pushing Janice, their only child, in all areas of her life. Janice probably would have done well for herself without her mother, but she knew her mother meant well, even though she really needed to get a life.

She had a typical childhood, otherwise. She had friends, made the cheerleading team in high school, dated a dumb blond of a jock, but that ended shortly after graduation. He wanted to settle down immediately, and Janice laughed him off. She knew it wasn't going to last from the start, but he was good to her.

Her father's money and her grades were enough to get her into UCLA to study law. It was always assumed she would follow in her father's footsteps.

That was where she met him. She had arrived for her pre-law class and was busy talking to her girlfriend when she noticed him come in. He was tall, dark hair and eyes, and cute. He wasn't a jock, but she could tell he got regular exercise. The tan hinted at many days spent at the beach, probably a surfer. He joked with a friend in his husky voice, smiling.

That did it. Those dimples were to die for!

She watched as he got out his usual tape recorder and notebooks. He wasn't the only one with a tape recorder in the class, but he acted like his life depended on it, as he was always checking for spare tapes and batteries in his duffel bag as he settled in for class. She did notice it was a fairly nice and reliable recorder, which meant he had spent some money on it.

She kept an eye on him the next few classes, casually moving closer until she was behind his left shoulder. She noticed that he seemed to be struggling to keep up, only writing down key words, constantly glancing to see that the recorder was, in fact, working. He also seemed very frustrated that he couldn't keep up with the instructor. She lingered behind after one class, when she noticed him head up to the desk as soon as the class was over, one day.

He was asking the instructor to go over something he didn't quite understand and was holding the recorder up to make sure he got it all. The teacher was nervous about it, and suggested that if he couldn't keep up, he should look into another, easier line of study.

"I'm not stupid, I'm just dyslexic!" he protested a little too loudly. Their instructor blushed, embarrassed, apologized, and explained Matt's question for him again.

Janice raised her eyebrow. Well, that certainly explained his constant frustration and reliance on the recorder.

He thanked the teacher and turned back to get his books and saw her lingering. Almost everyone else had gone by then, and those who straggled behind were in small groups discussing other things. She was by herself, still behind his belongings, obviously trying to look inconspicuous.

Their eyes met. She blushed, gathered her things and ran out.

The next class, she sat several rows away, but she saw him looking for her. He smiled. She blushed again.

This went on for another week. Each seeking out the other, smiling, then pretending to ignore the other.

Then their instructor had assigned them a paper, due in a week, and suggested that some of the class should ask their classmates for help if they didn't understand the project.

She was watching him and saw his ears turn red. She noticed the teacher had looked directly at him when he said this.

When the class ended, she casually passed him by as he sat there, stewing. She smiled at him, he looked at her distractedly. He was obviously thinking about the paper, not her. She left the class and waited outside the door. He came running out a minute later, searching the hall.

"Looking for someone?" she asked as casually as she could.

"What?" He spun around and saw her. He smiled.

God, those dimples again! Her knees buckled. "uh, I mean, that is--Were you, uh, looking for someone?" she blushed.

He stared at her. "Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah. You. I hope," he stammered. "I was wondering, um, you know, you overheard me say last week that I'm dyslexic, right?"

She blushed. "um, oh yeah, that was you?" You're so busted!

"um, yeah," he was blushing, too. So cute! "I, uh, if it's not too much trouble, that is, If you could help me out? You know, proofread my paper, make sure I haven't, like, screwed it up, totally?"

She smiled as he squirmed. "I guess I could give it a once over," she said. A goofy grin spread across his face. "You know, check it over for spelling...and whatnot."

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Thanks! I'd really appreciate this!" he grinned. "I, uh, I'm Matt, Matt Parkman, by the way."

"Janice Albrecht," she replied. "Nice to meet you, 'Matt, Matt Parkman.'"

"Nice to meet you, too, Miss Albrecht," that goofy grin again.

She melted. He found himself shoving his hands in his pockets.

They made a study date for the weekend and he met her at the law library. They spent the day there, and she didn't mind helping him write his paper on top of working on her own.

When they had finished, he asked if she was hungry. "Do you want to go get something to eat?" he stammered, shy once again now that the business of the day was done.

"Sure, I could use a bite," she replied.

He was practically silent as they ate, barely making small talk, but she coaxed him out of his shell. He was a local boy, who lived with his mom after his dad had left, several years before.

"I want to do some good in the world, maybe join the police force or something, you know?" he confessed.

She nodded. "My dad was a lawyer, so it just seemed natural for me to be one, too. Do you know what your dad did?"

Matt was silent for a moment. "Not really, but he was always leaving us for 'emergencies'. Supposedly, he moved out here to keep us away from all that, but he kept running off whenever he got a call. Disappear for days on end. I don't know how mom put up with it all."

"ooh, maybe he was a secret agent!" she teased. "Like James Bond or the Man from UNCLE!" she laughed. He stared at her, then broke out laughing, too. Maury Parkman was the last man anybody would suspect being a secret agent for any government agency, no matter how secretive.

"Do you want to go back to my place?" he blurted out.

She stopped laughing. "What?"

"uh, I mean, my roommate, Brad, he's gone for the weekend, so we can go back there and talk some more, or you know, whatever?"

"uh..."

"Up to you!" he said too quickly and too loudly. He caught himself, "I mean, no pressure or anything, but I'd really like it if we could continue, y'know, a little more privately?" He gave her that goofy grin again.

"uh, sure," now if only my legs would start working! "I think I'd like that, Matt."

Another grin, before he stood, held out his hand, and helped her up.

They were barely in the door before they were tearing each others clothes off. He pushed her back on the bed, she pulled him close, kissing him. He broke away, gasping.

"What? What's wrong? Don't you--?"

"Oh, I want to, it's just that, I don't, um, I haven't--"

"You've never gone all the way?" she blurted out.

"What? No!" he shouted, before he realized what he said. "I mean, yes! I have! I had a girlfriend back in high school! But I don't have any, um, protection, you know--"

"Oh!" she fumbled for her purse. Crap. "oops? Neither do I, it seems." she blushed.

"Do you--? I mean, we don't have to, but, um, I--?"

"um, you're not still seeing--?"

"What? No! We broke up over a year ago!" he stammered.

She sighed in relief. "well, um, me too. Broke up right after, I mean. He wanted to settle down, I didn't."

Matt looked at her. "So, um, do you want to or not? No pressure, but if you don't want to, I'm okay with that, I mean--" His mind was racing a million miles a second. So was his pulse. She could feel it throbbing in his--

"Sure! I mean, if you want to, I don't mind going without, this time," she stammered.

Matt looked at her. This time? There would be more times? He could learn to like this girl. Really Like.

That goofy grin again. Her panties just flooded. Shut up and kiss me, you stud! She thought.

He did.

--

Several months later, they were basically sharing his dorm room. Brad was rarely there. He had dated her roommate briefly, before she kicked him to the curb for drinking too much. He still catted around campus and usually stayed elsewhere. Matt had warned him about his dropping grades, but Brad had ignored him. Janice felt bad for him, slowly losing his friend like this.

Then she realized, something was off. It took her a couple days before she realized what it was. She was late. She was rarely late. She had just been too busy with classwork and Matt and the time had slipped by. She spent the night at her own dorm and didn't tell Matt the real reason, was so she could take one of those home pregnancy tests the next morning.

Positive. Oh shit.

She found him hunched over his desk, poring over his books, trying to make sense of the words. "I'm late, Matt."

"Huh? Then you better hurry up and leave, then."

He didn't hear her. Bastard.

She looked for that damn Indian sex book, but didn't see it. Probably under the bed, if Brad hasn't 'borrowed' it again, the perverted bastard, 'gluing' the best pages together! She grabbed his psych book off his bed and threw it at him before storming out the door. She ran from the building and finally dropped on the law library steps, sobbing.

He came running up a few minutes later, apologizing. He said all the wrong things to her. She knew he didn't mean it, but she didn't want to hear them right now. She didn't want to hear HIM right now. It is HIS fault, right? She got up to leave.

He begged her to stay. She turned to tell him to leave her alone for now. He had dropped to his knees. Before she knew it, he was singing his own version of "Layla", using their names, at the top of his lungs, totally off-key. In that moment, she could seriously imagine being married to the big lug. She kissed him and consoled him, when he should be consoling her.

"Oh lord, I'm marrying a wannabe drummer. Phil Collins!" she said without thinking. They both stopped. She looked at him.

Oh shit. Ohshitohshitohshit!

"Oh god, what did I say?"

"Um, back to square one?" he asked.

She gave him a confused look. What? OH NO. nonononononoNO!

"Okay, well then, let's do this the proper way," he said and dropped to one knee, still holding her hands.

"Oh my god, Matt, you don't have to--" She tried to step back away from him.

"Janice Dawne Albrecht, will you do the honor of making me an honest man?"

"What?" nonono!

"Will you marry me?"

"What?" omigod, Matt, NO!

"Will. You. Marry. Me?"

Tears started flowing.

He smiled up at her, kissed her knuckles.

Those dimples! And he's so sincere about the whole thing! Things could be worse, she could actually NOT like him. What the hell, Jan. She held his face again. Smiled and nodded.

"Yes?"

"Yes." omigodomigodomigod, what have I done?

"YES!" he laughed, rising up and kissing her, grabbing her and spinning around. "YES!" He lost his balance and twisted so she would land on him as they fell onto the grass. They kissed some more. "I love you, Janice Dawne Albrecht Parkman," he said.

"I-I love you, too, Matt," she said, giggling at his recitation of her potential name. omigodomigodomigod!

They were interrupted by campus security and headed back to his dorm, joking about "trying for twins."

An hour later, they were lying together in a tangle of sheets, staring at the ceiling. He rolled over to look at her.

"So," he began, as he slowly traced his finger from her collarbone down to her breast. "Who do we tell first? My mom or your parents?"

"About what?" Don't start, not yet.

"Don't tell me you did all this just to get me in bed?" he joked. "Trust me, I'm much easier than that as far as you are concerned, my dear." He kissed her shoulder.

"No, Matt," she said grabbing his hand before it went any further down, "I don't want to tell anyone, not yet. Not until we know for sure."

"Know for sure?" he repeated, confused.

"I told you, I'm late," she replied.

"Janice, I thought you were implying," he hesitated, "you know?"

"I don't know yet, Matt." I really should have at least seen the campus doctor before saying anything! Idiot!

Matt fell back on the bed. "So, are we still--?"

"Don't you want to?" Now's your chance to back out, Matt!

"Only if you want to," he told her.

"You don't want to, do you?" please say no! please say no!

"Janice, it's not as easy as that," he replied, turning back to face her. "I thought you were pregnant, you might be, if you are, then yes, as soon as you want to," he comforted her.

So it's up to me? "And if I'm not?"

"Then we're engaged. We take things as they come. No rush to walk down the aisle right now."

Let it go, Matt! "So you're only going to marry me IF I'm pregnant?" She sat up.

"What? No, it's not like that!" He sat up and put an arm around her. "I love you Jan. I do. Really."

God, he is so sickeningly sweet and sincere, he's giving me cavities! She didn't pull away as he kissed her shoulder again.

"It would be a great honor if you wanted to marry me, Janice," he told her again.

"We can't rush into this Matt," she said.

He groaned and flopped back down, rubbing his eyes before folding his arms behind his head. She turned to look at him. I'm giving you an out, take it!

"Make you a deal, Jan?"

She raised an eyebrow. What now?

"REGARDLESS if you're pregnant or not, the offer still stands," he told her. "We take our time, regardless? Don't rush into this without thinking everything over?"

She could learn to love this guy, she smiled, leaned down beside him. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"Well, in that case," she said and slid her hand under the covers, grabbing him, running a fingernail along under his crown. He groaned. "Want to try for triplets?"

--

The next two months seemed to drift by, as Matt put in his applications to the Academy, with Janice's help. She advised him to be upfront about the dyslexia, just in case. He grumbled and nodded. She knew he wouldn't, but it couldn't hurt to be upfront.

Still, they shared knowing glances, enjoying their secrets. Every time they got a moment alone, he was rubbing her belly, whispering to it, trying to feel their growing secret. She thought it was cute at first, but continued to humor him after the novelty had soon started to wear off.

Then came that Wednesday morning. The night before, they had finally agreed to tell their parents that coming weekend. She felt queasy going to bed, so he just cuddled her while chalking it up to nerves over their decision. The next morning, she awoke and immediately bolted for the bathroom. Her gut was cramping, really bad.

Please don't be sick now, not before we tell them! Oh shit, please don't let this be morning sickness! I don't think I'll be able to handle this if it is! No, something's wrong. Something is definitely not right.

"MATT!" she yelled, rousing him from his sleep.

"Jan? What is it?" he mumbled from the other room.

"Matt, something's wrong!" she called from the bathroom.

Matt was by her side in a flash. He stood there in his boxers, watching her sitting on the toilet, holding her stomach. "Jan?"

"Something's wrong, I think I need to go to the doctor," she cried.

He ran back, grabbing her something to put on. When he came back, he helped her stand and glanced down in the bowl and gasped.

"What? What's wrong with me?" she asked, scared out of her mind.

Matt stared down. She followed his gaze and saw the red mass. She began crying.

He hugged her, turning her head. "Shh, it's ok, it's gonna be okay," he consoled her. "We're going to be okay, Jan."

He helped her dress, threw some clothes on himself and drove her to the doctor. He held her hand the entire way. He didn't say anything else to her, just held her as much as he could.

Afterward, he drove her to the beach where they just sat and watched the waves roll in until dark. He hugged Janice closer at one point.

When they finally decided to call it a night, he drove them back to his dorm. "Do you still want to--? this weekend, I mean?" he asked as they turned in. "Just visit them?"

"I think I need to," she said, wearily. "Thanks, Matt."

"I love you, Jan."

He was like a lost puppy, wanting someone to hold him. She hugged him. "I love you, too, Matt. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, never be sorry about what happened this morning."

Matt, you're too much for me, she thought, I don't deserve you. She began to cry into his shoulder.

He kissed her head and whispered, "I'm here for you, always. I mean it. Always."

Matt followed her around like a puppy to her classes the next couple days. The doctor had advised her to go back to her regular routine and come back the following week for a follow-up, just in case.

When they arrived at his mother's on Saturday, she was taken aback by the retro-70s décor. Obviously, this woman was not one to keep up with modern home fashion. If she stayed with Matt, maybe she could bend his ear about redecorating? He was glancing about too, probably thinking the same thing.

Ruth was a little over-bearing and Janice soon found out she barely knew Matt. He was Jewish, he really had played drums in a band, and lord knows what else.

Inside of ten minutes, Ruth had figured their secret out and she was crying into this woman who was almost her lost child's grandmother. She felt bad about that, but admitted to Matt later that night that talking to a stranger first helped ease the tension of telling her parents.

"She isn't a stranger anymore, she's your future mother-in-law." He giggled.

Janice laughed at him giggling. "At least she's letting us sleep together, we might not get to at my parent's tomorrow."

Matt groaned. "Please, there's a reason their anniversary is barely like six months before my birthday."

"Oh my God," Janice shot him a panicked look. "You didn't tell her you proposed?"

"Shh! No! I wasn't sure if it was the right time," he answered. "Besides, aren't we taking it slow, not rushing into things?" He kissed her ear.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, pulling his arm closer around her.

"This wasn't so bad, meeting my mother, was it?"

"No, not really. Just remember, tomorrow you have to meet BOTH my parents!"

She felt him freeze up behind her. She went with it, teasing him about his middle name, "Hiram" (seriously, who even uses that name outside of Amish folk, anymore?), and all his 'dolls' (sorry, 'action figures'!) on his shelf. They were kinda cool, even if he was being a geek about it. If they had had a boy, he could have given them to his son, she sighed, as she drifted off, pulling his arm closer. He got the hint and hugged her tighter as they drifted off.

--

The begged off Ruth the next morning with a light breakfast, saying her parents had a Sunday brunch planned. (Janice blanched as Ruth asked them if they had a good night, as she didn't hear them up all night or anything. Matt blew her off with a simple "MOM!") She didn't let either of them leave without a hug or kiss, and a promise to keep her informed of any more upcoming "details". Matt was obviously embarrassed by his mother that morning, but Janice took it in stride, knowing what he was in for.

Lawrence and Karen met them at the door, the girls hugging hello, Matt shaking her father's large hand, acting all humble. (Not too hard, as the jovial but imposing man had several inches on Matt, and his bulk made him probably twice his own size, he figured.) She could tell Matt was impressed by their house, having grown up in that cramped apartment, this was practically a palace. It wasn't flashy, but her father had been fairly successful, with talk of an impending partnership coming up. ("Finally!" her mother added.)

Janice gave Matt a nervous look as they were soon split between her parents when her mother insisted she help finish setting up brunch in the kitchen. Her father took that as his cue to pull Matt into his den off the living room.

"So, how serious are you?" they were both asked.

"Mom!" Janice replied, suddenly realizing that was Matt's reply to his own prying mother, earlier.

Matt wasn't faring too much better. "Well, uh, sir, that is, um, we-we're still just dating. We, uh, don't know, um, if, um--"

Lawrence laughed. "Take it easy, son, it's not like she's pregnant, right?"

Janice heard the thump in the kitchen. She ran to her father's study and found her father helping Matt up from the floor. "What happened?"

"Tripped!" Matt said, a little too quickly for her suspicions. "I tripped and fell! Sorry!" He was shaky and looked like he was about to be executed. Or just had been.

"No need to be sorry, Matt," the older man said, patting him on the back. He forced a smile and winked at his daughter.

"Dad! What did you do?" she protested. "What did you say?"

"Nothing!" he protested, still forcing that smile. She knew him too well. Karen came up behind her to see what the fuss was about.

"Janice, leave the men to talk, we have things to discuss in the kitchen," she tried pulling her daughter away.

"Dad, don't attack Matt like he's on the witness stand. He's not on trial here!" She glanced at Matt, who was still ashen. Oh crap, we're so busted.

Lawrence waved his daughter off, who unwillingly followed her mother back to the kitchen. He pulled up another chair alongside Matt. The young man was still white as a sheet. "So, you were saying?"

Matt gulped. "I-I have nothing but the utmost respect for your daughter. Sir." The man smiled and leaned in. "There's nothing going on that you don't want to go on." He gulped again. "Sir."

That smile again. "Is there something you're not telling me, Matthew?"

Gulp. "uh, n-no sir, nothing wrong. Nothing at all?"

"You sure about that, son?" he paced his hand on Matt's knee.

Oh shit. What do I do? "A-ask Janice," he stammered.

He squeezed Matt's knee. "Don't mind if I do. Come on, we'll both go ask her." He patted Matt's knee again and rose to leave. He looked back at the door to see Matt still sitting in his chair. "Coming, Matthew?"

Matt slowly rose and focused on following Mr. Albrecht. That's it, just focus. One foot in front of the other. What's he going to do, kill you for briefly knocking up his only daughter? Oh shit, we're in trouble. I'm so dead.

Lawrence ignored his daughter's glare as he led Matt into the kitchen and they sat around the table. Janice gave Matt an ice water, which he chugged down in his nervousness. Brain freeze! Crap!

Karen gave him the once over, nodding her approval to Janice over his build and tan. "So, Matthew?" she began. He nodded at her, glad to be distracted from her husband's gaze. "Nice tan, do you go to the beach a lot?"

He glanced at Janice, who nodded. "I, uh, used to, but class keeps me pretty busy studying and such. I used to, uh, surf a lot, growing up."

"Beach bum, eh?" Lawrence inquired, ignoring Janice's glare.

"NO! No sir, just surfing with some friends, and whatnot, back in high school. Had to keep the grades up or mom wouldn't let me, you know?"

"And what does your father do?" Karen inquired.

"Mom!" Janice hissed.

"I, uh, don't know. He left us, several years back," Matt answered her, glancing between both parents. "He kept being called away for work emergencies, and then just--left, I guess?" Matt shrugged. "I never really knew what he did, he never really talked about it. Neither did mom."

"And what did your mother do, without your father to support the two of you?" she continued to pry, ignoring her daughter's glare again. Lawrence was amused by this.

"um, odd jobs, nothing really too long." Matt considered this a moment. "I guess dad was still sending her money or something? Probably arranged for my tuition, we think, as well."

"You haven't heard from him since he left?" Lawrence asked.

"There was an occasional card, like at Chanukah and such--"

"Chanukah? You're Jewish?" Karen interrupted him.

Matt blushed, glanced at Janice for support. "Well, my Mom still goes to Temple, I don't think dad's job really allowed him to attend much. She kinda let me off the hook after he left. Said I could make up my own mind about my life."

"So," Lawrence asked, "another Jewish lawyer? Is that what your father may have done?"

"What? No!" Matt replied. "I'm not studying to be a lawyer, and my dad always said something about a 'paper emergency' when he ran off. I just don't have the, uh--"

"Brains?" Karen offered.

"MOM!"

Matt tapped the side of his head. "--wiring for that kind of legal stuff. Or medical. I was thinking about going into law enforcement, actually."

"A cop?" Lawrence asked.

"Yes, sir. I just want to do good in the world, help make a difference."

"You book 'em, I grill 'em, right?" he teased.

"uh, I guess so? That's one way of looking at it, sir?"

Lawrence laughed. Matt couldn't help but chuckle, too.

"So, about this 'wiring'? What did you mean by that?"

Matt stopped chuckling. Oy, here we go. He glanced at Janice, who rolled her eyes. "I, uh, I'm dyslexic, sir. I can read, but it takes me a little longer than anyone else, to make out the words right and such."

"And you don't think the police can wait for you to read street signs in the middle of a high speed chase? Or read off a license plate, correctly?"

"Well, yes, I've thought about that, but--"

"You think they're going to give you a break because of that? I don't think that will help you if you ever get a case to court, and believe me, you will be in court many a time, Matthew."

"Sir?"

"They can get some punk killer off on a technicality like, 'the cop is stupid and can't read for shit! He shouldn't even be on the Force!' A little technicality like that will have any criminal you try to arrest after your badge, and you want to tell me you haven't thought of that? You want to sit there and tell me that your going to support my daughter on a measly cop's salary, if you're lucky. Then make her worry every time you're late that you may be lying dead in some gutter, because some punk kid pulled his weapon on you because you were too busy trying to read his freaking name off his fake ID?"

"DAD! Stop it!"

"No, Jan, I don't think this kid is right for you. Thinks he can be a cop and he can't even read? You want--"

"I can read!" Matt shouted. "I can't help it if the damn letters and numbers keep dancing around while others have no problem with it! I got good grades in high school, and I'm getting good grades, now, and who's to say they don't allow dyslexic cops? Surely as a lawyer, you know that's discrimination, right? There are laws to protect people from that bullshit!"

Lawrence Albrecht stared at this young man before glancing at Janice. Matt suddenly felt very self-conscious. Janice grabbed his hand and he sat down again, not even realizing when he had stood up.

Karen got up, grabbed a tray of food and brought it to the table. "Enough talk. Let's eat, shall we?"

Lawrence and Matt found themselves in a staring match. "So, Matthew," he began. "Odd reaction when I joked about you knocking up my daughter, wasn't that?"

Matt gritted his teeth and squeezed Janice's hand under the table. He opened his mouth to speak, but heard her voice.

"I lost the baby, is that what you wanted to hear?" she shouted, tearfully.

Her parent's jaws dropped. Jan brought their joined hands above the table, to show their united front. Matt didn't know what to do.

Janice continued with the other bombshell. "And I said 'YES!' Matt made a fool of himself proposing when we found out, and I couldn't help but say yes. I'm marrying this man!"

Matt was focused on Janice. She was all he saw and all he cared about at that moment. She turned and kissed him.

Karen got up. She was crying. She ran out of the room.

Lawrence sat there and watched the couple.

"Are-are you serious?"

"Yes, dad," she answered. "When I told Matt, I was upset, we argued," she paused and looked at him. Smiled. "Then he made a total fool of himself and proposed. I said yes. We're engaged. We were going to tell everyone this weekend, but then--" she choked up.

Matt finished for her, glancing to her father. "Wednesday morning, she wasn't feeling well." He looked at her again. "She--We, lost the baby. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but--"

Matt stopped as Lawrence rose from the table. He walked around Matt and kneeled beside his daughter. He hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," he said. "I'll go talk to your mother, but I know she loves you, it's just that-that we were lucky to have you. I'm sorry, we should have told you earlier, given you a head's up. We tried so many times, and then--I'm sorry, baby, I thought she told you?"

Matt and Janice sat there, stunned.

"What?" she asked. "Does this mean we'll never--?"

"No, baby, no," he cried. "Lots of women miscarry, most never even realize it. It's just that your mother was lucky to finally carry you after so many--" He broke down, sobbing.

Janice hugged her father. He didn't have to explain further.

Matt didn't know what to do. He put his hand on Janice's back, trying to console her that way.

Karen refused to come down, and refused to let Janice in to talk. She tried to explain through the closed door that they weren't getting married immediately, they were just engaged.

She wouldn't answer.

Lawrence finally told them to go back to school and he would deal with her mother. He hugged and kissed Janice goodbye, telling her not to worry and he still loved her, no matter what.

Then he turned to Matt. Matt held out his hand to shake it, and Lawrence pulled him in close.

"You take good care of my little girl, you hear me, Matthew?"

Matt wasn't sure if this was a threat or not. He gulped. "Of-of course, sir. I would never do anything to hurt her."

Lawrence looked down at the young man. "You better not." Then he started laughing and pulled Matt in for a hug, whispering, "I mean it, Matt," in his ear before ushering them out the door.

As they pulled out of her parents driveway, Janice turned to Matt. "I think that went better than expected, don't you?"

Matt was still shaken by her father. "um, yeah, sure, if you say so."

She grabbed his knee, shaking it. "Don't worry so much. He likes you. After all, he's your father-in-law!" she laughed.

Matt groaned. He now realized why she didn't think it was so funny the night before.

He gave her a sly look. "I can't wait until my father turns up. The two of them together? Hoo-boy!" It was now his turn to laugh again.

(2)b(c)


	5. Chapter 11 Honeymoon

_HEROES - Her Story 2: Honeymoon_

_Characters: Janice P, Matt P, Maury P_

_Notes: I own NUTTINK! Janice's version of the Parkman Saga. (so of course, it's the maiden name I gave her in my previous stories and other stuff spinning off from them.)_

_--_

"_You know, Matt, that wasn't funny."_

"_I know, it was HILARIOUS!" he laughed._

"_Brad's just lucky Jamie's a good sport. He's also a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do," she explained. "He could have put a hurt on your best man!"_

"_And we would have caught it all on video!" he laughed._

"_Is it too early to ask for a divorce?" she asked before he attacked her in earnest once more in their Las Vegas bridal suite. She grabbed his ears and pulled him up to her face. "You guys are incorrigible, you know that?"_

"_You invited the guys along on our honeymoon?" he smiled._

"_You're lucky I invited YOU along on MY honeymoon, Mr. Parkman!"_

"_Anything you say, Mrs. Parkman!" he laughed and kissed her hard. "Just remember, I'm not the guy wearing a skirt to a wedding!"_

"_It was a KILT!" she laughed as he redoubled his efforts._

_They didn't leave the room the entire weekend. Matt didn't want to leave it ever again. He had no desire to even hit the Corinthian's casino, downstairs. As far as he was concerned, he hit the jackpot and was rich enough for the rest of his life._

_When it came time to check out, Matt did so grudgingly. Janice went to sign for the room as he sat with the bags._

"_Parkman in 610, right?" the clerk asked._

"_Yes, Matt and Janice Parkman," she giggled to herself and looked down at her ring again._

"_It looks like your husband has already signed off for the room, Mrs. Parkman."_

"_When was this? He's been with me the entire time we've been here," she asked. She turned and waved to Matt to come over._

_The clerk handed her a slip of paper. "What's up, Jan?" he asked._

"_Did you pay for the room already?"_

"_What? When would I have done that?" he asked. "I've been in you all weekend," he teased. _

_The clerk winked at him, then did a double-take. "This is your husband, Mrs. Parkman?"_

_The couple turned to look at the man. "Yes, why?" he asked._

"_I'm sorry, sir, I must have looked up the wrong room number. There was an 'M. Parkman' who signed off for room 610 this morning, he was an older man."_

_Janice spoke up, "Yes, that was our room, 610. We joked about it because it's his birthday, we took it as a good sign."_

_Matt's jaw clenched as he looked at the slip. "Older? Balding? Real heavy? Big nose? Thinks he's funny?" _

_Janice stared at her husband, what was going on?_

_The clerk nodded, "That sounds like the man who signed off, this morning. He said the room was on the house, compliments of Mr. Linderman. Is this correct?"_

"_Our room is right, everything else was wrong. Can I speak to this 'Mr. Linderman'?" he asked._

_The clerk was taken aback. "um, speak to Mr. Linderman? That's not really--" he paused and leaned forward, whispering to the couple, "that's not a good idea, sir. Mr. Linderman doesn't like to be bothered for situations such as this. I can page the manager--"_

_Matt glared at him. "Situations like this?" He pulled out his wallet, flashing his LAPD badge. "Fraud? Impersonating a police officer? Probably add forgery as well as a number of other charges if we look into this situation a bit more." He tapped the counter with his finger. "If I were Mr. Linderman, I would definitely consider this situation worth my notice."_

_The clerk blanched and picked up his counter phone, informing whoever was on the other line that, "A customer has a problem and wishes to speak to Linderman, in person. Mr. Parkman. Yes, he's right here. Yes." he held the phone out to Matt. "He wishes to speak to you, sir."_

_Matt took the phone from the young man. "This is Matt Parkman, is this Mr. Linderman?"_

_A gravelly English accent answered him. "Yes, Mr. Parkman, this is Daniel Linderman. I am well aware of the situation and trust me, I have it under control. Consider the costs of your honeymoon here completely gratis at my pleasure."_

"_I want to speak to you in person, Mr. Linderman." Matt replied. "I don't know you, and I certainly don't appreciate being played like this. Like I told your employee here, I am a member of the Los Angeles Police--"_

_The man cut him off. "Yes, I am well aware of who you are, young Mr. Parkman," he said. "Believe me, I have no interest in angering a member of any police department, Las Vegas or Los Angeles, as it were. Please believe me when I say your room was paid for by a common friend of ours. Are we understood?"_

"_Where is he?" Matt snarled into the phone. "I'm tired of his games. Tell him to come out and face me like a man."_

"_I'm sorry, Matthew," came the English gravel. "Your father has already left and I do not expect him to return at--"_

_Matt pounded the counter with his free hand. "You tell him something for me, Linderman. He walked out on us, and can't buy us off, anymore. He left us, and now he can leave us alone!" He slammed the phone down._

"_I'm so sorry you feel that way, Matthew. Perhaps I--Matthew?" Daniel Linderman looked at the buzzing phone in his hand. He sighed and returned the receiver to it's base. "Maury, my friend, you have stirred up a hornet's nest this time."_

"_I'm sorry, Danny. I just wanted him to have a good time, this weekend." The man at the video bank turned away to look at his associate. "How was I to know they wouldn't even leave the room?"_

"_Maury, did you see your new daughter-in-law? That's the reason he didn't leave the room all weekend!" he laughed. "Congratulations, my friend, I hope they have many happy years together, well away from the likes of us!"_

_Both men laughed at that, toasting each other with their drinks. Maury looked back to the monitors to see his son fuming as he and his bride left the hotel. He sighed and toasted the images. "Mazel Tov, Matty. I love you, boy."_

_-_

"_Matt? What was that all about?" Janice asked, catching up to him as the valet caught sight of him and nodded to a waiting Corinthian taxi._

_Matt sighed. "I'm sorry, Jan. It's my father. I had no idea he was even in Vegas. I thought he went back east or something years ago." then, more to himself, he muttered, "Kinda hoped he died."_

_Janice was shocked. "Matt? I'm sorry, I had no idea. Is it that bad between you two?"_

"_I told you, he left us years ago, I tried to never think about him, but--" he threw his hands up and laughed. "Why can't you leave me be, old man?!" he shouted up into the air. He started laughing at the absurdity._

_Janice stood there and watched him. The Corinthian Taxi Service pulled up alongside him. The valet opened the trunk and placed their bags inside. Matt kept laughing as he opened the door for his bride before joining her. _

"_Don't tell me, compliments of Mr. Linderman?" he asked the man behind the wheel._

"_Of course, sir, all of Mr. Linderman's preferred guests get the use of his personal fleet of taxi's."_

"_Then why didn't he send a limo?" Matt laughed. He turned to Janice. "I guess we should have gone down and played a few rounds of something, instead of staying in our room all weekend?" Janice smiled and shrugged. This whole affair was unnerving her, too. He turned back to the driver. "How long do we get you? How far can you take us?"_

"_As long as I'm home by dinner, and considering it's only a quarter after noon, you've got me for the day."_

_Matt smiled. "Los Angeles, please."_

_Janice elbowed him and whispered, "Matt! You're gonna leave our car here?"_

"_Five bucks says it'll be home before we are. You think my dad's gonna let his only son down?" he told her, then turned to the driver again. "Los Angeles, and we're in no rush!"_

_The driver pulled away from the curb. "As you wish, sire."_

_- _

_Maury watched the monitor banks as they left. He raised his glass again._

_Linderman stepped up to his friend. "Here, it's the keys to your son's car. Why don't you take it home for him?"_

_Maury looked at the key ring before taking it. "Thanks, Danny. I'll pay you back for this weekend, as soon as I can."_

"_Ah, don't worry about it, Maury. After all we've been through? If anything, I'll charge it to Arthur. He runs a tab here, and I'm sure he won't mind."_

"_Even if it's Matt's tab? Please, you know this is my son we're talking about. He just might mind at that," Maury sighed. "Don't worry about it, I'll cover it."_

_He turned to leave and stopped at the door. "Danny, you didn't tape them, did you?"_

_Linderman acted like he was taken aback. "I am shocked. Shocked, sir, that you would accuse me of such a--ah, who am I kidding? Want me to send you a copy?"_

_Maury stared at him, gave a small push. "Yeah, Danny, the master, and any copy that happened to be made off of it. I owe him that much." Linderman nodded. "Thanks, Danny, I'll see you around," he said waving goodbye to his friend._

_-_

_Janice was surprised to see their car sitting in the apartment parking lot when they finally arrived. Matt grabbed the note off the windshield. Janice saw him tense up and went to him._

"_Matty, Tank is full, keys under wheel. Good luck."_

_Janice came up to read the note over his shoulder. He let her see it before he crumpled it into a ball and threw it. "Matty? Who calls you 'Matty' besides your--oh crap. Linderman lied, didn't he? Your dad drove our car back."_

"_Just-just ignore it, Jan," Matt fumed. He looked around the lot. Nothing out of place, no one that he could see. How did he know where they lived? Where he always parked? His own father was stalking him. LEAVE ME ALONE, OLD MAN!_

"_Matt?"_

"_Come on, Jan, let's go inside and forget this little incident almost ruined our weekend," he said grabbing a suitcase in each hand and with his wife's arm around his waist, they went inside._

_Maury caught the cab around the corner as it started to leave. "Thanks, I needed a ride back to Vegas," he said as he let the man's mind go. He looked back over his shoulder at his son's apartment building. He sighed. "One quick stop in town, then back to Vegas."_

_Arriving at another apartment building on Parthenia, Maury told the driver to lose himself for an hour, then they would head back._

"_Ruth? Ruthie you home?" he called out as he opened the door._

_She came out of the bedroom and looked at him, hands on her hips. "Maury? A bit late, aren't you? You missed the wedding. He didn't say so, but he was upset you weren't there."_

_He hugged his wife, kissed her. "I'm sorry I missed the big event, but I did spring for his hotel in Vegas."_

"_Linderman's?" He nodded. "You know he's going to be pissed at you for that."_

"_Yeah, I saw it on the monitor when he tried to check out. Danny and I were watching them this morning," he explained._

"_Maury! Don't tell me you boys taped our son's honeymoon!"_

"_Okay, I won't, but I made Danny promise to give me the tapes, just in case," he smiled._

"_What am I going to do with you, Maury?" She sighed. "How long can you stay this time?"_

"_Just an hour or so, I've got Matty's cab from Vegas to take me back, then."_

"_Well, whatever will we do to pass the time, then?" she smiled._

_An hour later, he was dressing to leave. "Can I ask you something, Ruthie?"_

"_That depends, is it about our son?"_

"_Have I ever made you think something you didn't want to?"_

"_Maury, I know he's not really mine, but I did raise him, with and without your help," she explained as he nodded in guilt. "I think of him as mine, and as far as he's concerned, he's mine. He doesn't know the truth, and I wouldn't tell him unless his life depended on it. You know that," she hugged her husband._

"_That wasn't what I asked," he said. "Did I ever make you think or do something you know you would never have done otherwise? Was I good to you? To you both?"_

"_I would have liked you to stay and help raise your son, but other than that, I don't think so."_

"_I'm sorry, Ruthie. I wish I could have. I wish I could have done a lot of things differently. Done right by you. Done right by him. I miss you, Ruth. I miss you both."_

"_I miss you, too, Maury," she said. "And Matt, he misses you, too, but he'll never admit it. You boys and your pride," she chided him._

_Maury sighed and nodded. "Rabbi's taking care of you?" she nodded, smiling. "Tell him thank you, for me. I'm glad you two hit it off, but I just wish I could be here for you." He looked down at her and gave her a sad smile. "I have to leave. Do you need me to send you anything?"_

"_I'm fine, Maury," she said. "Just...just be careful, whatever you're up to. It would be nice to have you back."_

"_I know, Ruth. Believe me, I know." He kissed her and left the apartment._

_He walked down to the corner, sitting on the bus stop bench and waited for the cabbie to return. He checked his watch and glanced around. He almost missed seeing her. She pulled up at the light right next to him. He smiled, finally getting a close-up look at his new daughter-in-law._

'_Wait a minute, my dear,' he thought at her, walking to the car. He pulled the notepad from his pocket and wrote a quick note. "Don't tell Matty I did this, ok?"_

_She sat stone-faced as he slipped the note into the glove box._

_He looked at her again. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding, I tried to make up for it, but, well, you know my boy. Be good to him, ok?" He kissed her cheek and got out of the car._

_No sooner had he sat back on the bench than another car pulled up behind her and blared it's horn, waking her out of her daze. Maury watched as she jumped from the intrusion, waved behind her and went on her way. He gave another sad sigh as she drove away. He really wished he could be part of their lives again._

_He looked back up the street and saw the cab pulling up to meet him. He turned on his smile again. "What took you so long, buddy? Fall asleep?"_

_The man laughed as Maury settled in. "Next stop, Vegas!"_

_--_

_It was two weeks before Matt found the note. He almost dismissed it as trash and threw it out._

"_Son, I'm sorry, tried 2 b nice- LV. I wish I could've been there 4 u. Pretty wife. Good Luck 2 U 2. Don't worry. miss u all."_

"_How dare he? How fucking dare he?" Matt sobbed. He punched the dash. His anger gave way to sadness, then...he sat there and cried in the car, hoping nobody would find him, least of all, Janice._

_He finally pulled himself together, then shoved the note in his pocket. He wiped his face on his sleeve and made his way in to his apartment. He slipped past Janice and into the bathroom to wash his face and he tossed the note in the bathroom trash, he thought. He missed and it bounced behind the can._

_Janice found it while cleaning a few days later. She didn't know what to make of it other than an absent father trying to reach out to his son. Matt hadn't said anything, but it explained his dark mood the other day. She momentarily debated showing it to Ruth, but instead sighed and tossed it in the trash before taking it out. Why involve his mother in another father-son dispute? Let Matt talk to her if he wants to talk about it._

_She went back to cleaning. This cleanser is really funky with the fumes, she thought, as her head swam a little, and stomach churned. She opened the small window, waved in some air, but that didn't help. Then she felt her stomach cramp._

"_No! Please, not again! Not now!" she whimpered._

_Matt came home from work that night and headed in for a quick leak. He thought it odd that things looked in disarray, but assumed she got distracted with a phone call or something and never got back to cleaning up. No wait, he would do that, not Janice. She was a bit of a neat freak, especially compared to him. He flushed and went to look for her in the bedroom. She was in bed, probably sleeping. Was she sick?_

"_Jan?" he called softly, "you feeling okay?" Maybe she was just sick and needed to lay down. That was it. He slipped off his gun belt and went to her. "Jan?"_

_She turned to look up at him. She'd been crying._

"_Jan? what's wrong?" he asked, sitting beside her._

"_It happened again, Matt. I'm so sorry," she cried._

_He cradled her to him, not realizing what she meant. "What? What happened again? What's wrong, Jan?"_

"_I'm sorry, Matt," she cried. "I-I was cleaning, and-and I thought it was the fumes at first, but then I started--I started cr-cramping up." She broke down in sobs._

_Matt hugged her and kissed her. She didn't need to say anything else._

_Strike two, he thought. Why now? This was supposed to be a good time, wasn't it? They were newlyweds, this wasn't supposed to happen again. The first time was a fluke, they were too young, anyway. Kids in college. Now, now they could start a family. He wanted to start a family. That's all he ever wanted, a family to come home to. _

_If Lawrence hadn't told them it had happened to her mother, too, that they were lucky to have Janice, then Matt would have wondered if he was responsible, if they weren't incompatible, somehow. Could he be toxic to her, in some way? Could their chemistry be so off that they couldn't have a child together? _

_No, he pushed those thoughts from his mind as he lay with his wife to comfort her._

____________________(2)b(c)_


	6. Chapter 12 Grievance

HEROES - Her Story 3: Grievance

Characters: Janice P, Matt P

Notes: I own NUTTINK! Janice's version of the Parkman Saga. (so of course, it's the maiden name I gave her in my previous stories and other stuff spinning off from them.)

--

Janice was busy going over her papers when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Janice? It's Rabbi Blumenthal, dear, is Matthew there?"

"Oh, hi, Rabbi. Sorry, Matt's on duty right now, is this important?" She could hear the nervousness in his voice.

He hesitated. "It's Ruth. Something happened. I don't want him to hear it over his radio scanner or whatever."

"Ruth? What happened? What's wrong? Is she ok?"

"I'm sorry, dear," he said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "I stopped in and--it was already too late. I already called 911, but I don't want him to overhear on his radio."

"Oh my god! I'll be there as soon as I can! I'll call the switchboard, you try his cell!" She paused, mind racing, "I'm sorry, Rabbi, I know you two were close, but--"

"It couldn't be helped, dear," he consoled her. "We have to get hold of Matt, first thing. I'll see you here soon."

Matt was parked just off the 405 on radar when his cell phone rang. The department had been turning a blind eye toward them while on duty, but their use had become more prevalent and made life easier for the switchboard operators. He glanced at the number, his mother's. She knew not to call his cell if he was on duty unless it was an emergency.

Slightly annoyed, he answered it. "Hi mom, what's wrong?"

"Matthew?" came a familiar man's voice.

"Rabbi? Why are you calling me? I'm on duty, I can't really talk right now."

"Matt, it's your mother. You better come home. Right now."

"What? To her apartment? What's wrong? Put mom on."

"I can't Matt, I'm sorry," he pleaded.

Something about the tone of his voice had alarms ringing in Matt's head. "Rabbi, what happened? Where's my mother?"

"Matthew, please. You need to get here right away." The man was almost in tears.

"I'm coming! I'll be there as soon as I can!" he yelled, throwing the phone into the empty seat beside him and throwing the car into gear, burping the siren to let oncoming traffic know he was coming out.

He grabbed the mic. "Dispatch, this is Parkman, I just had an emergency family call. I'm en route to Parthenia, over."

"This is dispatch," came the reply. He recognized Judy's voice. "Officer Parkman, your wife just called and is waiting to talk to you. Switch to private channel."

"This is Parkman, tell her I am en route to Parthenia. Repeat, en route to Parthenia. Rabbi just called me, what's going on?"

Janice's voice crackled over the line as soon as he switched over. "Matt? Matt, can you hear me?"

"Jan, Rabbi just called, what happened? I'm on my way to mom's now."

"Matt, I'm sorry. He called here trying to get hold of you. It's Ruth, Matt. Something happened, I'm not sure what. Matt, I'm sorry."

Matt's stomach dropped. His voice cracked as he answered her, "I'll-I'll meet you there, Jan." He flipped his lights and floored it.

When he arrived at his mother's apartment building, there were already two units and an ambulance in front. He screeched in behind and ran inside, not caring his lights were still flashing and screaming.

He ran past two other uniforms, who barely had a chance to react as he flew by. "Was that him?" "I dunno, probably. Hey, wait a minute!" They chased him up to his mother's apartment. One grabbed his mic, "Tallman, he's headed your way! Repeat, Parkman is headed your way!"

Matt faltered as he turned the corner and saw his mother's door open, another uniform standing guard in the hall. "Parkman? Oh shit, he's here! Parkman, stand down!"

Matt collided with his fellow officer as he tried to block Matt from entering. He wasn't sure if he hurt the guy, considering the redhead had a couple inches and probably fifty pounds on him. Tallman tried grappling with him, to prevent him from entering.

"MOM!? RABBI!? What's going on?" he yelled. He looked into the apartment and saw an EMT and a gurney. Empty, that's a good sign, right? "MOM!?"

Blumenthal stepped out from his mother's bedroom. "Matthew? It's okay, officer, let him in," he motioned to Tallman, who was still trying to keep Matt from his childhood home.

Blumenthal blocked Matt from proceeding any further than the kitchen, grabbing his shoulders. "What's going on? Where's mom? Rabbi, where's my mother?!"

"Matthew, calm down," he tried to coax the younger man into a chair. "There's nothing they could do, it was too late."

Matt was straining to see around the man. He did a double-take. "What? Too late? What are you--no, she's not--she can't be! Mom!"

"Matthew, I'm sorry. She was already gone by the time I got here."

Matt looked at him with the saddest expression. Tears were flowing down his cheeks.

"I waited for you, Matt. I waited to do the prayer. Do you want me to do it, now? We can do it together. Matthew?"

Matt was numb. He let the rabbi help him up and lead him into the bedroom. He stumbled at the doorway, afraid to enter. Rabbi pulled him in, to the end of the bed. He held Matt's hand and began chanting.

All Matt could see was his mother, pushed over so she was laying on her back. Eyes closed, mouth agape at an odd angle. _That's not right, _he thought. _Why is her mouth open? Somebody close her mouth. _He heard somebody talking, chanting. _Shut up, my mother is dead, shut the hell up! Somebody do something! Wake her up!_

Someone squeezed his hand, touched his shoulder. He looked over and saw Rabbi Blumenfeld. Why was he here? Why didn't he do something? Why is he pushing me out? _Who are these people in my mother's room? Mom? Wake up, Mom! It's Matt! Your Matty! Come on, Mom, wake up!_

Matt felt more hands drag him back, away from his mother. He tried to fight them off, he wanted to be with his mother. _Why won't she wake up?_

Someone was taking off his belt. He didn't care, he just wanted to wake his mother up. _Why won't she wake up? Mom? They're pushing me away, but I want to be with my mother! Mom, why won't you wake up?_

_Rabbi is shouting my name. Go away if you can't help her. He's shoving me in a chair, standing over me. The medical guys, EMTs, they're taking the stretcher in her bedroom. Can they wake her up? Please, it's my mother! I can help!_

Matt tried to get up and run back in, but Rabbi and the other officer, Gary Tallman, held him down in the kitchen chair farthest from the door. Tallman asked if he should cuff him, but the rabbi advised him not to, taking his gun belt was only a precaution.

Tallman tightened his grip on Matt's shoulder as he saw the EMT back out of the room. Rabbi had one hand on Matt's shoulder and was holding Matt's other hand with his own as they wheeled her out. Both could feel Matt tensing up, ready to jump up as they went past.

"It's all right, Matthew," Rabbi said. "She's at peace now."

"mom? mom, wake up. please." It was barely a whisper.

Tallman and Rabbi both glanced down, ready to hold him back if he tried to move. He didn't. As her body left the apartment, they could feel him loosening up.

There was a commotion in the hall. Tallman started to the door, but thought it better to stand over Matt another minute until he was sure they had the body out. He saw Matt glance at the door. He looked up to see a brunette walk in, crying.

"Jan?" came his feeble voice.

"Matt? I'm sorry, I got here as fast as I could!" She went to hug him as Tallman stepped back to let her in.

Rabbi reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Janice." She looked over Matt's shoulder at the rabbi and nodded.

Tallman motioned to the rabbi he was going to step outside. No sooner had he crossed the threshold than he heard the most soul-wrenching howl come from the kitchen. He looked back to see Parkman had finally broken down, crying. It was hard enough to see ordinary people grieve like this, but when it was one of the guys on the Force? He would be making sure he told his wife and daughter he loved them, tonight.

"Matt, I'm here, honey," Janice consoled him. "I'm here, I'm sorry, Matt. I'm so sorry." She hugged him again as he wept.

"I just wanted her to be happy," he sobbed. "We could make her a grandmother, and make her happy with our kids and--and--"

"Matt, don't!" she cried back. "Don't torture yourself like that! We couldn't help what happened, then or now. You know she loved you and if we had kids, she would have loved them just as much!"

Rabbi leaned down so Tallman couldn't hear from the doorway. "It's true, Matty. Trust me, she loved your kids as much as you. When the time comes, you'll know I'm right. I'll even get to say I told you so! You never disappointed her. She was proud of all of you."

Janice looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Trust me, my dear, when the time comes, Matt will know. He'll understand." He turned to the still sobbing Matt. "You won't remember what I'm telling you now, but you will understand one day. She was so proud of what you will become, Matthew. She loved you and your kids more than you could ever know." He kissed Matt on the temple. "Just be brave enough to believe in yourself."

Janice glared at the man. Kids, plural? Matt better not have kids with some hussy on his beat! "You are not helping, Rabbi."

"Trust me, my dear, I am," he smiled. "I can't say anymore, but Matthew will understand, one day. I hope you will, too." He had an earnest sadness about what he said. He knew it to be true, but didn't want to argue with her. Not now.

Tallman caught this last part. Sounded like when his cousin, Daniel the physicist, went on and on about his theories, causality and whatever. He adjusted his belt and glasses and looked down the hall. Fuck this, he thought, the EMTs had cleared out, how long did he have to intrude on these people?

After everything had settled down, Janice couldn't shake what Rabbi had told her husband. She knew him well enough that he wouldn't cheat on her. He was too much 'the nice guy' to do that. What had he meant?

He refused to speak of it further, but insisted Matt was faithful to her. When she threatened to ask Matt, he confessed it was a secret Ruth shared with him. He claimed she had occasional dreams of the future and dreamed Matt would one day be a father and successful in helping people. She seemed to buy this, and he was glad to hear it. He did hate having to lie to her, even if it was a half-truth, but it was necessary to protect the future, for Matt and the world.

Two years later, Matt was there for Janice when her father died of a sudden heart attack, as well. Matt had always gotten along with his father-in-law and was just as upset as Janice at the loss. He was even the first to volunteer for pall bearer. Rabbi tried to offer comfort to Janice and her mother, but Karen refused to let him and quite literally chased him from her house. Matt bit his tongue, but Janice tore into her mother before storming out.

They remained at odds until Janice's pregnancy. She still kept her mother at arms length after Matthew was born, to the point she let Rabbi Blumenfeld baby-sit her son over her own mother, including the final weekend of her life.

(2)b(c)


	7. Chapter 2010 Barstow

_HEROES: Perspectives - Barstow_

_Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!_

_Characters: Peter, Gabriel, Phil Coll--er, Sprague/OC, Janice_

_Setting: 2010, events mentioned in "Visiting Ours" expanded._

_--_

_Frank Sprague was an ordinary man. A mechanic by trade, he felt more comfortable under a hood than anywhere else. In fact, he never really wanted much else. He was just an average guy and he was happy with that._

_Nope, nothing more than an average guy living an average life._

_Of course, that changed when he learned his cousin, Ted, lost his wife to cancer and he was being charged as a terrorist and possible serial killer. He also found out from the news that Ted had somehow blown up the car his Federal captors were moving him in, and he had escaped._

_Shortly thereafter, he saw they were reporting his recapture in New York City. (How he got from LA to NY was never known.) Unfortunately, his transport was somehow flipped, the drivers killed and poor Ted had his skull cut open while hanging upside-down in chains. The body was cremated before being returned to the family. "It was what he wanted," said the blonde FBI agent who delivered the remains. She seemed upset at the whole affair._

_That was enough drama to keep Frank for the next several years._

_He occasionally read the tabloids they bought for the garage, and happened across a series of articles claiming there were real life "mutants". People who could do extraordinary things. _

_Frank dismissed it, as usual, but one of them mentioned a man who was a walking nuclear reactor and had been arrested as a serial killer by the FBI before his "untimely demise." What little details they gave, left no doubt to Frank they were talking about his cousin. There were even pictures from a New York artist's gallery that seemed to show people performing unexplainable things. Some even displayed victims of this mystery skull splitter. Supposedly, he was psychic, but had also mysteriously perished at the same time Ted had, having been crucified to his studio floor and his skull had also been opened._

_Frank knew there had to be a connection, but didn't know what. The tabloid ran the articles intermittently, and he tried to keep up. Was this real? Were there really people who could fly, read minds, teleport, slice people's skulls open, and lord knows what else out there?_

_Fiction became fact when "Formula P" hit the streets. No one really seemed to know where it came from, but for those who could afford it, they also gained powers as if they were comic book characters come to life._

_Of course, with every "exciting" and "hip" thing, there came the knock-offs. A few enterprising (and highly intelligent) individuals discovered the keys to the formula and the black market for "P" boomed. Of course, the black market version was unstable without the catalytic agent the "true" version of P contained. It was often fatal and disfiguring without further treatment. A single dose cost thousands. Most saved up (or otherwise acquired the funds) and took their chances with one shot._

_Frank didn't care. He was happy living his life quietly._

_That all changed one Sunday in 2010._

_He was finishing up tuning his classic '68 Mustang convertible for the local car show the following weekend when he noticed that the coolant seemed to be getting warmer as he leaned over it. Not just warmer, it was boiling._

"_What the hell?" He stumbled back._

"_Having problems, friend?" came a voice from the end of the driveway._

_Frank looked over to see a red-haired man in a suit smiling at him. Great, the missionaries are prowling today, he thought as he waved his rag over the steam coming from his engine._

"_Did it overheat?"_

"_It hasn't even been on for a few days," Frank replied, staring at the engine. "I'm not sure what happened?"_

_The man stepped forward and extended a hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Charles Fabian, and I believe I can change your life," he smiled. "Forever."_

_Frank gave the man a suspicious look. "Not interested."_

_He continued smiling. "Don't you want to hear what I have to say? Like I said, I could change your life."_

"_I told you, I'm not interested," Frank repeated, turning his attention back to the car. The steam had subsided, somewhat._

"_I'm not sure your cousin, Ted, would have agreed with you."_

_Frank spun to stare at the man and his smile creeped into his brain. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded._

"_I want to change your life, my friend."_

_Frank picked up his socket wrench. "Get the hell out of here and leave my family out of whatever sick fantasy you think you know."_

"_Are you sure about that?"_

_The man's smile was making Frank very nervous, now. He raised the wrench as if to strike the man, but realized it was starting to warm up in his hand. "What the--?" He looked at it, it was starting to glow orange in his hand._

_No, not the wrench. It was his __hand_ that was starting to glow. The silver plated wrench was merely reflecting it.

"W-what's happening? What's going on here?"

"Take my hand, friend," the man said again. "I can help you."

Frank hesitated, dropped the wrench. Unsure, he shakily reached out and the man grasped his hand.

Frank felt hot air wash over him. He was blinded by the light that came from this man. Through the fingers of his other hand, blocking his face, he saw the other man disintegrate. 

No, not just the man, his home, his neighborhood, his city.

Frank dropped to his knees, stark naked in a landscape of ash. "help me," he moaned as he passed out.

He had no idea how long he had been asleep. He rubbed his eyes, thinking it had been a nightmare. He felt a warm breeze against his body. He dropped his hand from his face and screamed in terror.

"Gabriel! Over here!" he heard and looked to see two men fly down near him. Both were wearing hazmat suits with a sign Frank recognized as the nuclear waste symbol.

"He's still alive?" he heard Gabriel say.

"Barely. He needs medical attention right away!" the first man said. "My name's Peter Petrelli, do you know what happened? How did you survive the blast?"

Frank stared at the man, then surveyed the devastation.

"F-Frank. Frank Sprague," he said, shaking with fear. Peter jerked his head back in surprise. "God help me, I think I caused this!" he cried.

Peter gave him an intense look. He felt fingers tickle his brain. "What happened, Frank? How did this happen?"

The minutes before the blast raced through Frank's brain. "I was working on my car. There was a man. He had a creepy smile. He took my hand, and then--" he broke down, sobbing.

"Boom."

"Mr. Sprague, stay with us," Peter insisted. "Did he give you a name?"

"Ch-Charles...Fabian, I think?" Frank answered between sobs. "He-he also mentioned my cousin. He knew about Ted."

Peter stood up and backed away. He stared at Gabriel, who seemed to be as shocked as well to hear the name.

Peter finally found his voice. "Ted? Sprague? Ted Sprague was your cousin?"

Frank looked at the man. He was horrified. "You knew him?"

Peter and Gabriel shared a look. Gabriel nodded. "Yes, we knew him. He was like us. He was a walking nuclear reactor."

Peter finished. "Just like you."

Frank sat there, taking this in. "Kill me."

"What?"

"Please. I never knew-- I never would have-- I need to be punished for this!"

Peter was horrified. Gabriel studied him with cold eyes.

"We can't," Peter protested.

"I killed an entire city! I took the man's hand and I killed an entire city! I need to be punished! _KILL ME!"_

"No," Peter denied him.

"_YES!" _Frank insisted_._

"_NO!"_

"We must."

Both men turned and looked at Gabriel. 

"He killed thousands, so he must pay the price," he explained.

"Gabriel, no!"

"Yes, Peter. It's the only way." He turned and knelt before Frank, looked him in the eye. "He knows. He understands. It seems karma is a bitch and I must now kill you like I killed your cousin."

Frank pushed himself away. What did he just say?

"Gabriel, no!"

"I took Ted's life for his power. I was hungry for it, out of control." Without breaking eye contact with Frank, he turned his head towards Peter. "You remember that, Peter? The Hunger?"

This was the man who killed Ted? What was going on here?

"I've changed. Back then, all I cared about was power. This is about justice," he said before adding, "and mercy."

Frank felt like he had been slapped. His head twisted and he fell to the ashen earth.

"Forgive me, Frank."

"Forgive _me_," was the last thought that went through Frank's mind. Peter relayed it to his brother.

Gabriel nodded. "We destroy the body," he told Peter. "Officially, we found nothing. Unofficially, we tell Matt and Nathan what Frank told us. It's obvious this Charles Fabian was a jump starter. Who knows what the guy had in mind for Frank, but his power was too volatile to be forced on like they tend to do to people."

"Matt told me about Ted. He had a hard time at first, too," Peter said somberly. "He wound up killing his wife with cancer, then killed her doctor when he lost his temper. He had no idea what was happening to him. If only the psychics knew who it was before today, so we could have prevented this." He turned to Gabriel, pleading, "We can still go back and--"

"No, Peter," Gabriel said as he burned the body to ash. "This was meant to happen. No more going back to make things 'right.' That's the rule. You told me I blew up Costa Verde in one timeline. You blew up New York in another. The Shanti Virus destroyed the world in yet another. In this one, Ted's cousin Frank was tricked into blowing up Barstow. If he hadn't done it, somebody else would have."

Peter knelt over the smoldering pile of ash that was once Frank Sprague. "I know. I just wish we could have gotten here in time. Who knows how many people died here? We'll never know for sure."

Gabriel put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "We can't police them all, just play firefighter when things start spiraling out of control. That's what we agreed to do. That's what we will do. If we don't," Gabriel hesitated, "then they round us up, kill us all. Just because we're different." 

--

Friday evening.

"Are you sure you don't mind, Rabbi?" she asked. "I don't want to ruin your weekend."

He smiled at her. "My dear, you are family, you're not ruining anything. It would be my pleasure to watch Matthew while you and your friends enjoy yourselves this weekend."

She hesitated, brow knitting. "I've never been away from him this long, before," she protested.

"Janice, we'll be fine," he consoled her. "I've got kids of my own that are all big and grown and I still remember how to keep an eye on a youngster for a few days."

She still hesitated.

"Now hurry along," he insisted. "The buyers will be here for him soon."

She turned her attention from her son to the rabbi, wide eyed. He broke out in a big grin.

"Kidding!" He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Go. Enjoy yourself." He pulled a ten from his pocket. "And put his on black, let it ride."

"What?"

"Don't you remember? Always bet on black."

She sighed. "You sound just like Matt."

He grinned back at her. "Where do you think I got it from?"

She looked at her son again. "You, uh, you haven't heard from him, have you?"

"Far be it from me to keep secrets from my late girlfriend's son and his ex-wife, my dear."

"That's a no, then?"

"Nothing's stopping you from picking up the phone, Janice."

She hesitated, watching her son color at the table. He looked up at her, smiled.

"Fine," she sighed. "Monday when I get back, I'll call him, catch up. Let him know we're doing fine."

Blumenfeld smiled down at her. "You don't have anything to worry about, Janice. You know the reasons why you're doing this. So does he."

"But what if--?"

He grabbed her hands. "Janice, go. Enjoy yourself. Have a blast this weekend. Worry about what you want to tell Matty next week."

"But what if--?"

"Janice. I have your cell number, I know how to dial 911, and Matt would be third on that list if anything remotely serious happened to your son this weekend. Stop worrying and go enjoy yourself with your friends."

He hugged her again and ushered her out the door. "The spare key is in his duffel bag! Just in case!" she called back as she stepped away from his door. He smiled and waved. 

Matthew came running up behind the rabbi and waved goodbye. "Bye, Mommy! I love you!"

"I love you, too, Matthew!" she called getting into her car. "Behave for Rabbi this weekend, okay?"

Matthew nodded and hugged the man's knee as she drove away.

There were a few calls to let them know she arrived safely and to check up throughout the weekend. 

Matthew was fine that night, and was obediently silent Saturday as the rabbi performed his duties at Temple. The young man was silently intrigued with everything, and later asked what language he was speaking and why this and why that? Rabbi had to laugh at his persistence. His grandmother told him his father never felt the pull of their faith, but his son wanted to know everything about it.

Matthew's eagerness Saturday night turned antagonistic Sunday morning. He demanded to speak to his mother, but the call went directly to voicemail. All three times. Rabbi told him not to worry about it, she probably had her phone off, or forgot to bring her charger.

Once the news broke, the boy got even worse. He was in tears, insisting his mother come to pick him up, immediately. Rabbi tried her cell again. The voice mail was full. The man could do nothing but assure the boy his mother was fine and not to worry.

Truth was, the child had him on edge. He knew about what Matt could do, but his abilities had not 'manifested' until his mid-30s. Matthew was a boy of four. Surely he hadn't manifested yet, had he?

Finally, he had given in and driven the boy home, using his spare key to get in the house. Matthew impatiently ran from room to room, calling for his mother. He cried that he couldn't find her. Rabbi convinced him to take a nap and she would be home that evening.

Once the boy was down, he went into her office and began looking for her personal phone book. He flipped through it, called her mother, who had heard nothing from her daughter that weekend. He decided against telling the woman that he had the boy. She now had enough to worry about.

He continued until he saw another familiar name, Tom McHenry. Matt's old partner from his days on the Force, and the alleged true father of Matthew. His home as well as most recent direct LAPD line were listed. His wife said he had gone in to work, to help with the crisis. He thanked her and called the man's office.

"Mr. McHenry?"

"Yes, who is this? I'm very busy right now."

"This is Rabbi Blumenfeld, Mr. McHenry. I believe we met at Matty and Janice's wedding?"

Tom paused a moment. "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"

"Janice went to Vegas this weekend. We haven't heard from her yet. I was hoping you could keep an eye out for any alert that might mention her?"

"Did you want me to call Matt in on this?"

"No!" the rabbi said a little too quickly. "No, not yet. No need to worry Matty just yet. There is one other thing, though."

"Sir, I'm sure Matt would appreciate it if Janice was--"

"I have Matthew, Tom."

"Excuse me?"

"I offered to baby-sit for her this weekend," he explained. "The boy was very agitated this morning, when all the TV stations switched over to cover the disaster, he was convinced his mother was caught in the explosion."

"That's just him projecting, sir. It's normal for kids, young kids, especially, missing their parents to--"

"Tom," Blumenfeld cut him off. "Did she tell you?"

"Sir? I don't follow?"

"About Matt? About what he could do?"

"Yes, sir. I am well aware that Matt is...one of those people." He didn't know how else to put it.

Blumenfeld was momentarily annoyed by the man's comment for several reasons, but that was not the point. "Tom, did she tell you the truth?"

"The truth about what, sir?"

"About Matthew."

His voice came back as a whisper. "She said I was the father. Don't tell me you're going to dump the kid off on me if--if--" He faltered. He couldn't say the words.

"You made a convenient cover, Tom. I'm sorry."

What was he implying? "I'm sorry?"

"Matt believed his life to be in danger," Rabbi explained. "He--They, they both agreed to use your affair to hide the true paternity of the child."

Tom was stunned. "I--I'm--what?"

"They lied to you and everybody to protect the child, Tom. I'm sorry."

"Then-then what does that make me?" he protested.

"Someone they still trusted enough to keep a secret. Someone who must keep that secret."

"I don't know if I can," he protested.

"Tom, you must. You were always their Plan B," he explained. "Matt thought of you as a friend. You both betrayed him, but that may have turned out for the best."

"You-you want me to take the kid? Is that what you're asking me?"

"If it comes to that, yes."

"I don't think my wife will--"

For a detective, this guy wasn't too bright. "I'll keep the boy for now, Tom," he explained. "But, if something were to happen to me? You have to step up. Keep the child until Matt can claim him once more. We cannot fail Matt...or Matthew. Do you understand?"

Tom hesitated, mind churning. "I--I...yes," he hissed, tears coming to his face. "For Janice. I'll do it."

"Thank you, my son."

Janice Dawne Albrecht Parkman's body was never found. Tom confirmed she had checked out that morning, bought gas before leaving town, and then...nothing else. Not even her car was found.

She had simply disappeared. Like too many others that day.

Rabbi Blumenfeld raised Matthew as his own for the next ten years. 

In late May, 2020, a man calling himself Noah Bennet called him. Two days later, Daphne Parkman and Molly Walker came knocking at his door. They agreed to keep the secret for a few more weeks. It was the best birthday present they could give the man those three loved. They reunited him with his own flesh and blood.

__________


End file.
